Mother's Day
by SJ 9112
Summary: A normal, everyday Mother's Day celebration leads to an outing up North, where Lucy takes Lee on a path down memory lane and sets him on a course towards reconciliation with his past. T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, all! This is my very first Not Going Out fanfic, and it's the first fanfic I've written in a long, long time. I'm an American, so I apologize for any anachronisms in advance! Thank you for reading, and I sincerely hope you enjoy!**

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The shafts of sunlight peeking through the window threw their rays across Lucy's sleeping form. She stirred, but kept her eyes closed. Her first few seconds of consciousness told her that she was alone; the warm form of her husband's body, normally pressing against her backside, was strangely absent. The noxious fumes from his bedtime farts had dissipated as well, leaving her free to breathe deeply in peace. She hugged the comforter more tightly around herself, relishing a few more minutes of solitude.

The bedroom door slowly creaked open. Lee peered around the door and surveyed the scene. He looked over his shoulder and put a finger to his lips before nudging the door open the rest of the way. Carrying a breakfast tray, he led his trio of tiptoeing children into the room. "Wait there," he whispered, pointing to the foot of the bed. They lined up obediently, each clutching a parcel and trying desperately not to giggle. Lee hastily steadied a wobbling glass on his tray and looked down at his still-sleeping wife. A few seconds of silence passed.

Without opening her eyes, Lucy mumbled, "Lee, what's going on?"

He pointed to the children. "Now!"

Charlie, Benji, and Molly burst into a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday," causing Lucy to startle upright in bed. Her look of surprise melted into a delighted smile. As they finished and threw their arms wide, Benji accidentally flung his present across the room. Lee sat down on the edge of the bed next to her and positioned the breakfast tray over her lap. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Happy Mother's Day, Luce."

"A lie-in _and _breakfast in bed?" She turned her laughing eyes up at her husband. "What did I do to deserve two presents?"

"It's a bit more than two," Lee retorted, his brow furrowed mockingly. "You're forgetting that I also got the kids up this morning. And I dressed them. And I fed them. And I organized all this while keeping them quiet. And," he leaned close, nudging her with his elbow, "I'm going to wash and hoover the car this morning."

"My, you're absolutely spoiling me!" She reached out and clasped his hand, squeezing it appreciatively. "Thanks, Lee. This is really thoughtful."

"Open mine first!"

Lucy hastily stabilized her tray as Charlie leapt onto the bed, shoving his parcel in her face. Molly followed suit, trying to bat his away with hers. "No, Mummy, open mine!"

She quickly took them both to prevent her juice being knocked to the floor, while Lee got up to help Benji retrieve his present from behind a chest of drawers. "Settle down, darlings, or I won't open either of them." When they quieted, she set one aside and began opening Charlie's.

"Ha! Mine was first!" He gave his sister a triumphant look. She stuck her tongue out in return.

Lucy lifted the paper to reveal a framed poem in her son's penmanship, topped with a crayon drawing of the two of them together. "Oh, Charlie! Did you make this in your class?"

He looked down at the duvet and nodded. "You like it?" He murmured a little bashfully.

"Of course I do!" Lucy read the lines in silence, chuckling at Charlie's creative turns of phrase. It called to mind the silly poems Lee used to write her when they began properly going out. She wiped away a tear and smiled. "It's very special."

"I made mine at school, too!" Molly cried happily. "Open it now, Mummy!"

Lucy laughed as she pulled the paper away from a white rabbit made of pompoms. A paper collar around its neck read 'I Love You Mummy' in Molly's uneven scrawl. "How sweet! You made this all by yourself?" Her daughter beamed and nodded proudly.

Lucy glanced over at Benji, who was inspecting his present in its torn-away wrapper. "Did you make a rabbit as well?"

He shook his head, handing it over ruefully. "Mine's a dog. But I think it lost an ear when I throwed it."

Lucy took the broken craft and set it aside gently. "Don't worry, I'll paste it back on and it'll be as good as new."

"The kids have one more present for you." Lee came up behind them and tapped his daughter on the shoulder. "Molly has it, right?"

She looked up at him with a puzzled frown. "No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do! See?" Lee reached down the back of her collar and came back up with a slip of paper. The magic made her gasp in awe. "You had it hiding down your shirt!"

"Well, what is it?" Lucy asked.

Lee handed the paper to Benji, who promptly passed it to his mother. She unfolded it and drew her head back in surprise. "A gift certificate for a spa package at the salon?" She arched an eyebrow at Lee. "That's a very grown-up present for the children to think of."

Lee shrugged and clapped a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "It was all their idea. They specifically reminded me to pick it up the last time I went for a haircut. Isn't that right, Charlie?" The boy looked up and nodded at his father's encouragement.

"They were really thinking ahead. That must have been a month or more ago," Lucy teased. Lee rolled his eyes.

She carefully pushed her breakfast tray to one side and held her arms open to the children. "Come here, darlings."

Charlie, Benji and Molly crowded into Lucy's embrace, where she held them tight. "Thank you for my lovely presents," she murmured, kissing each child on the top of the head.

"Did we give you a nice Mother's Day, Mummy?" came Benji's muffled voice from against her shirt.

"A _very _nice Mother's Day." Lucy held them for a moment longer, her heart full. She released them and smiled tearfully.

"Come on," Lee herded the children towards the door, giving her a wink, "let's leave Mummy to eat her breakfast in peace."

"You'd better remember to eat something, too, if you're planning to wash the car today."

"Don't worry about me." Lee paused in the doorway. "I left a chunky Kit Kat sitting on the counter, so I think-,"

The kids suddenly peeled off for the kitchen, shoving each other out of the way. "Hey!" Lee called, hurriedly chasing after them. Lucy's delighted laughter followed them down the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm glad you liked the flowers…Really, it was no trouble at all…Yes, I had a lovely morning." Lucy smiled, holding her phone against her ear as the kids ran circles around her in the kitchen, shouting and smacking each other with stuffed animals.

Lee had temporarily ducked inside to grab some towels from the washroom. He held them up demonstratively to Lucy as he passed through the kitchen on his way back to the garage.

Lucy motioned for him to stop. "Hang on, he's right here." She held the phone out in his direction, mouthing the word "Mum."

"Happy Mother's Day, Wendy." He leaned forward to speak into the outstretched mobile. "Don't let Lucy claim all the credit for the flowers. They may have been her idea, but I was the one that picked them out."

Lucy arched a brow coolly.

"Well, they're very lovely, Lee. Thank you," Wendy's tinny voice chirped from the speaker.

After straining to hear her over the noisy din of the children playing, he nodded. "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman."

Lucy glared at him and his smile disappeared. "Erm, while you're hot," He winced, his cheeks growing red at the Freudian slip as Lucy's look darkened. "_Not, _I mean, _not _my mother, I wanted to make your day a bit special, too." Flustered, he looked down at his screaming children and pointed at the back door. "Go play in the garden, now!"

As the kids exited out the door, Lucy returned the phone to her ear, her now mocking gaze still trained on her husband. "Lee's washing the car for my Mother's Day gift this morning. Don't I feel special?"

"And the rest!" He retorted, giving her a wounded look. She turned away from him, listening to her mother's muted reply. Lee shrugged angrily and started back towards the garage. At that moment, the doorbell rang. Lucy placed a hand over the speaker and looked over her shoulder. "Can you get that, Lee?"

Blowing a long sigh, he shook his head and continued his march through the living room. He yanked open the door with a terse, "what?"

Frank stood there in a floral print dress. A ratty blonde wig sat askance on his balding crown. He grinned and held his arms wide. "Happy Mother's Day, son!"

Lee abruptly slammed the door in his face. He turned around to see Lucy enter from the kitchen, placing her phone back in her pocket. "Who was that?"

"No one." He tried to move past her, but she crossed her arms and blocked his path.

"What do you mean, no one? It sounded like Frank."

"It's the same thing, isn't it?" He tried to duck around her, but she coldly shoved him back with a hand on his chest.

"Well, don't leave him standing out there. Can you let him in, please?"

Lee huffed defeatedly and pulled the door back open. He refused to turn his head in Frank's direction as his dad stepped into the house.

"Frank!" Lucy half-laughed in bemusement. "What's with the dress?"

"I figured since Lee didn't have his mum to spend the day with, he could use me and not feel so left out." He glanced up at his son. "But if he doesn't want me here, I'll go."

"Of course, I don't want you here," Lee retorted, his eyes narrowing angrily. "You weren't even a real father to me, much less a mother! What ever gave you a terrible idea like that, anyway? Hasn't she suffered enough without you literally dragging her up?"

Frank put his hands up defensively. "I didn't mean to upset you, Lee! I just thought you could use a mother today."

"Well, I don't need one," he muttered gruffly before shoving his way past his father and wife, heading towards the alcove behind the stairs.

Lucy turned towards his retreating back. "Where are you going?"

Lee glanced over his shoulder and held up the towels still in his hand. "Out to wash the car. It's your one measly present today, remember?"

Lucy bit her lip as the garage door slammed behind him. Surely, he knew she'd just been playing with him earlier, getting back at him for flirting with her mother. It wasn't like Lee to not take a joke. She tried to press her worried look into a smile as she closed the front door and motioned for Frank to sit down. "I'm sorry about Lee. I don't know what's gotten into him today."

"It's probably my fault." Frank plopped down on the couch and pulled off his wig. "Lee's always been very tetchy about his mum. Here I thought he'd finally be ready to have a sense of humour about it. I guess not." He looked down at his hands sadly.

Lucy sat down next to him and made herself comfortable. "Tell me about Lee's mum. He hardly ever mentions her. I don't think he's even said one word about her to the kids."

"Well, I don't know if there's much to say." Frank cast his mind back. "She was exactly my type: a tall, willowy blonde with big blue eyes and legs that would make a stripper jealous. It's a shame she never stripped…" He trailed off as he slipped into a fairly frequent fantasy of his. It was only when he caught sight of Lucy's furrowed look in the corner of his eye that he snapped out of his reverie. "Anyway, I knew she was for me the day we met. I'd gotten into a bit of trouble and made an appointment with the local bank to get a loan. She was a stenographer for this banker bloke. I didn't get the loan, but I charmed her into a date. It was all go from there." He smiled to himself. "We were very happy together. Then Lee came along." He coughed self-consciously. "As you know, he wasn't planned. But she loved him from the moment he was born. I didn't want our life to change, but she wanted to settle down and raise the boy proper." He gave a small shrug. "You know me, Lucy. I can't be tied down. I tried it for her sake, but I wasn't suited for this nuclear family lark and I guess I was harder on Lee than I should have been. I blamed him for upending my entire life and turning it sour. So I took him to places I shouldn't have, and I played the odd prank every chance I could…"

"Lee called it psychological torture, but continue," Lucy said.

"The point is, I never really changed. But his mum did. And I guess it was unfair of me to finally force her to choose between me and Lee. And she picked Lee. As I knew she would. It gave me an excuse to leave." He looked down and sighed. "I heard about them from time to time. I knew she'd had to go back to work. She picked up secretarial jobs whenever she could and worked the till at the greengrocer's part-time to support herself and Lee. I don't think she ever had less than two jobs. And there were boyfriends. A lot of 'em. She was always a very attractive woman, and I can't blame her for wanting a stable relationship. But I don't think Lee ever liked any of them. He was very protective of her, and she wasn't treated right by any of the blokes she went out with. I'd hear about the breakups secondhand, sitting in the pub. That's how I heard a lot of what was going on with my own family. They never talked to me." Frank shook his head. "Then she got sick and sent Lee off to live with her sister. It was around that time that Lee had started acting out. He never caused any real trouble, mind. Just shoplifting and skiving and the like. He didn't run with a bad crowd, but his mates weren't a good influence all the same. I know his mum didn't like it, but she wasn't fit to do much about it. After he moved in with his aunt, Lee finally dropped out of school and saved up his money working in the factory to leave town. I was already doing the same at that point, kicking around from place to place. I never saw his mum again, but I know Lee went back and was with her at the end." He gazed steadily at the wall. "She's buried up there in Southport, in a little cemetery on a hill overlooking the sea. She always loved the sea, she did." He turned to Lucy and smiled sadly. "I've visited her grave on occasion, but never with Lee. I don't think he's set foot in that place since the day he put her in the ground."

"Lee's not a very sentimental person." Lucy fervently blinked back some gathering tears and returned Frank's smile. "He and his mother must have been very close."

"She was certainly the most affectionate person in his life. She used to take him out for 99s and walks along the pier. On her days off, they'd go to the seaside and play in the sand. Other times she'd take him to the park and let him play while she'd pick flowers to take home. Bluebells were her favourite. I teased him so much about being mollycoddled that he was the one that finally put an end to all that. I think it hurt her that he didn't want to spend time with his mum anymore." He shook his head at Lucy's admonishing look. "I know, I know. But she still went to every single one of his sports days and football matches, which is more than I ever done. She was the one that would buy him Rovers tickets for his birthday. She and him would go together while I went off on the piss. I always blamed Lee for her being unhappy, but I think she blamed herself. She tried to do her best for him, and that included letting him go. I heard from her sister's husband later that it broke her heart, him never finishing school. I always figured him for a no-count like me. But she thought the world of him." Frank looked around at the house before finally gesturing to Lucy. "And she was right."

"Oh, Frank," Lucy put a hand over his. "Thank you for opening up to me. I had no idea." She swallowed and stood up. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'll have a double shot of whiskey if you've got it." He grinned. "Only joking, love. Water's fine with me."

"Right." Lucy pointed to the staircase. "I've just got to nip upstairs for a second, then I'll be right back with your water."

Frank nodded and waved her off.


	3. Chapter 3

Lucy quietly pushed open the door to their bedroom and made her way over to the wardrobe. She opened the doors and stood on tiptoe to rummage around the cluttered top shelf. She vaguely remembered Lee putting something up there when they'd first moved in, something he'd told her not to worry about as it was old and unimportant.

"There!" With a triumphant cry, she finally wrestled the faded cardboard shoebox from where it had lain tucked in the far corner of the shelf. She brushed away some of the dust and sat down on the bed to finally open it.

Inside were the scarce trappings of Lee's childhood. He'd kept very little. There were a handful of sports prizes and an old, partially completed trading sticker album. There were some ticket stubs and a stack of betting slips. Lucy pulled out a balled up, grimy pair of socks with her fingertips and gingerly placed them on the lid, a disgusted look on her face. Primarily, the box contained photographs. Most of them were school portraits, class photos, and team pictures. There were a few portraits of strange children, kids she took to be old schoolmates of his. The ones lovingly signed by girls she hurriedly pushed out of sight. At the bottom of the box sat a tiny yellowed album. She pulled it out and opened it gently. Inside its pages were pictures of an infant propped against a sheet. Were it not for their yellowed hue, Lucy might have mistaken them for black-and-white photos of baby Charlie. Pasted to the back cover of the album was a downy lock of hair. Lucy touched it and smiled. Placing the album beside her, she looked inside the box and finally saw it. She pulled the photo out and set the box aside.

Though he only looked to be 11 or 12, with shaggy brown hair and thick, wire-rimmed glasses, Lucy instantly recognized her husband. His face was screwed up in a characteristically goofy expression while a laughing blonde woman hugged him from behind. Lucy walked over to the bedroom window, studying the picture. She flipped it over and read the looping handwriting on the back: _'Mummy loves her silly boy!' _She sighed and looked out the window at the garden. The kids were shrieking and darting around the lawn as Lee kept popping around the side of the house to spray them with the garden hose, soaking them by turns. Lucy looked back down at the photograph, her resolve hardening.

She turned from the window, repackaged the remnants of Lee's childhood and tucked the shoebox back up on the closet shelf. The photograph she slipped into her purse before making her way back downstairs. "Frank," she called gaily. "I have a small favour to ask you…"


	4. Chapter 4

Lee was crouched on the ground, polishing the tyre rims when he caught sight of his wife's reflection behind him. He groaned and pushed himself to his feet, wiping his hands on the rag. "Well, what do you think?"

"It looks very nice," she replied brightly, giving him a tentative look.

"It could stand to have the oil changed, but I'm not dressed for it." He glanced at her before starting to gather up his tools. "Maybe I'll save that for your birthday."

"I know you worked hard on it, Lee. And it really shows. I love it." She placed a hand on his arm and smiled. When the corners of his mouth twitched upward she felt a surge of hope. "You know what I'd most like to do right now?"

"What?"

"Take you for a spin in my shiny, clean car." Lucy held up her car keys. "What do you say?"

Lee looked at her incredulously. "What, just you and me?"

She nodded.

"Who'll look after the kids?"

"Frank's still here. He's agreed to stay with them while we're gone."

He considered for half a moment and nodded. "All right, then."

"Great! Let's be off!" Lucy turned and clambered into the driver's seat while Lee grabbed his coat from the ground and got in beside her.

"Where are we going?" He asked as she pulled out of their drive.

"You'll see." She smiled cryptically.

Lee remained a bit pensive as she began steadily making their way towards the city. It was the same commute he drove five days a week. "You're not taking me to work, are you, Luce?" He joked nervously. "Just because I work there doesn't mean they'll give you a free oil change, you know."

"I know," she replied airily as they sailed past the car dealership where he worked. Lee relaxed in his seat a bit more as they edged closer to the city limits. "Are we going to the theatre?"

"No." Lucy gave him a look. "I know what you're like."

"But you like it. I've sat through many a boring show for your sake!"

"Yes, and you always fall asleep!" She shook her head. "The last time was particularly embarrassing."

Lee closed his eyes. "Please don't go bringing that up again," he groaned.

"Your own daughter's ballet recital! Honestly, I thought I was going to die of shame."

"I'll have you know that I did _not _sleep through Molly's number. I was glued to her every move while she was on stage."

"Boy, do I know. Everyone knew!" Lucy rolled her eyes. "When the dancers are finished, you're supposed to applaud like a normal person, not leap to your feet and shout, 'all right, Molly! That's my girl!' like she just won the semi-final of the world darts championship."

"Lucy, she spent the better part of a year learning that routine. I know because I'm always the one that has to pick her up from dance lessons on my way home from work every week. And I have to stand there with all of those mothers who look at me like I'm a paedo while they natter on about 'Sophie's special solo' and how 'Amelia's leading the class with her exceptional barre work.'" Lee wrinkled his nose and adopted a mincing accent as he imitated the women's mannerisms. Lucy looked straight ahead at the road and bit back a smile. "And after all that, my little girl gets on that stage and proves she's the best dancer in the entire recital. She deserved more than just applause."

"I don't know if anyone else would agree she was the best dancer." Lucy shot him a look. "Everyone's biased in favour of their own child."

"Well, she was the only one that mattered, anyway," Lee muttered.

"Yes, because you did what you always do and fell asleep soon after!"

"None of the girls in the other numbers were my daughter! Why was I supposed to care? Anyway, Molly fell asleep, too!"

"The recital lasted way past her bedtime, of course she was exhausted." Lucy shook her head. "When the lights came back on at the very end, all of those same stuck-up mothers saw you snoring away in your seat with Molly passed out on your lap. It might have been sweet if you weren't blocking everyone's exit into the aisle. I've never felt so many pairs of eyes judging me while I woke you up and packed you both out of there." She glanced at Lee, who was staring down at his lap. "Anyway, we're not going to the theatre." As she said so, she turned off the roundabout and exited onto the M25.

Lee frowned. "Well, we're not going to the airport, are we? I haven't packed for any sort of journey." He gulped anxiously. "Besides, you know how I feel about flying."

"How could I forget?" Lucy still vividly remembered the disastrous flight abroad they took with Daisy several years ago. Lee's paranoia about one of the passengers being a terrorist led to him behaving so erratically that he was detained in the British embassy upon landing under suspicion of terrorism. Lucy was so angry about him spoiling their holiday that she had felt no remorse about drugging him out of his mind in order to endure the flight back to London. "You nearly had a fit when I merely suggested we fly the kids out to Disney Paris last year, given what happened the last time we took the ferry."

"I don't see any reason to trust your life to a giant death trap 10,000 meters in the air when you can just as easily cross the channel at ground level!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lee. I forgot you were a marathon swimmer," Lucy snapped.

"You know what I mean! Besides, I thought it worked out fine, taking the train."

"It was fine if you like struggling to keep three anxious kids in their seats for the duration of a five-hour train journey, the men's toilets being blocked and you teaching the boys to wee into a water bottle at risk of indecent exposure, the kids going ballistic whenever we encountered delays, and nearly losing Charlie in the crowd at the station."

"And I'm sure taking the kids on a plane would have been far easier," Lee retorted sarcastically.

Lucy glanced at him. "I suppose you have a point. On the plane, I'd have had _four_ ballistic children to deal with."

Lee sighed and looked up at the car roof, his brow furrowed in annoyance. "There is nothing irrational about my reluctance to fly in a plane. You're the crazy one for wanting to actually do it!"

"I only suggested it as a way of making the journey quicker because traveling with you is so bloody stressful!" She cried.

"Well, I'm sorry your life isn't so bloody perfect!"

Lucy drove in stunned silence, fervently blinking back tears. Lee gazed out the window, desperate to escape the pain he'd brought her. Neither said a word for several miles. It wasn't until Lucy exited onto the M40 that Lee finally snapped, "Just where the fuck are you taking me, anyway?"

Lucy stared ahead and continued driving.

"Oh, so you're ignoring me now?" Lee turned to her as stillness ensued in the car. "The silent treatment's not going to work, you know. Because I can read your mind."

Lucy lifted her chin and focused on the road.

"And right now, you're thinking that Lee is a twat," he said. "But I happen to know for a fact that you're wrong. Lee isn't a twat."

He paused in the uneasy silence. Lucy remained aloof.

"He's a twat that's in denial."

A small giggle burst forth from Lucy's mouth. She glanced down at the wheel and shook her head. "You always do this!"

"I'm sorry, Luce. Really," he murmured, eyes plaintive. "I know I'm not your ideal husband. And I probably never will be. But don't trade me in for a newer model yet, please?"

Lucy glanced at him and sighed, a smile pulling at the ends of her trembling mouth. "You're lucky I happen to have a thing for old rustbuckets that make funny noises and have cold, grey interiors, with motors that run far too loudly and groan when you turn them over."

Lee shot her a cheeky smile. "At least I've still got plenty of petrol left in the tank."

"Don't remind me. I can smell you from here."

Lee took stock of her cheerier expression and, encouraged, leaned towards her. "One thing I never want to do," he murmured soberly, "is leave you broken down on the side of the road. I'll try to listen next time we start veering towards the ditches." He tentatively reached out and brushed a strand of her short dark hair from her forehead. Lucy lifted a hand off the wheel to grab his palm and hold it against her cheek.

"I'm sorry for ruining your Mother's Day outing, Lucy. It doesn't matter where you're taking me. What matters is that you decided to spend your special day out with me, and I've been nothing but a right miserable bastard. Forgive me?"

"You know I do. I love you, you right miserable bastard." Lucy shifted his hand further down her face and kissed it lovingly. She sighed. "You haven't ruined it, you know. We've still got a long way to go."

"Right." Lee withdrew his hand and glanced away sheepishly. "Do you mind passing me the water bottle from your pocket door, then?"

"What for?"

"I need a wazz and we just passed Oxford services."


	5. Chapter 5

Lucy finished parking the car and switched off the ignition. She turned to Lee, who was lightly dozing in the passenger seat beside her. She smiled and gently shook his shoulder.

"I'm up." Lee immediately lifted his head and sat forward.

"We're here." Lucy opened the car door and motioned for him to hurry up.

Lee slowly unbuckled his seatbelt and squinted as he stepped out of the vehicle. "This looks like the Southport Promenade."

"It is." Lucy took his hand and started leading him towards the pier.

"What are we doing here?" He asked guardedly.

"I thought it would be nice to spend a day at the seaside, and, seeing as I've never visited the place where you grew up, I thought I'd combine the two in one." She smiled up at him. "We've visited Blackpool Beach plenty of times, but never Southport."

"For good reason. Blackpool Beach is nicer." He looked around pensively.

"Come on, this is my special day out, remember?" She squeezed his hand encouragingly. "It'll be fun!"

Lee did his best to swallow his apprehensions and nodded. "All right."

They continued a short way in silence before Lucy pulled him off towards an ice cream van. "Want some ice cream?"

He shrugged. "I don't see why not. That Ginsters pasty I had at Keele Services is feeling pretty lonely."

Lucy pulled a fiver from her purse and handed it up to the vendor. "Two 99s, please."

Lee turned and looked across the way at the Golden Gallopers spinning and playing their merry tune. It hadn't changed at all from the days when he was a wee lad, when his mother used to take him for a ride.

"_Come on, love. It'll be fun!"_

His mum's tired expression floated before his face, her sad mouth pressed into an artificial smile. _"No more long faces for us today."_

"_Mum, you're ruining my plan. I'm trying out for one of the horses." _

Lee subconsciously pulled a mopey, hangdog expression. The sound of his mother's laughter rang in his ears. As he watched the carousel turn, a chill took hold of him as he fancied he saw himself flash by on one of the ponies, pointing to the arse of the wooden horse in front of him.

"_Look Mum, Dad's here. He's scarpering away like he always does!"_

The corners of his mother's eyes creased in delight as the giggles bubbled out of her. _"Let the arsehole run. We're going to escape him today!"_

"Here you are."

Lee jumped, startled, as Lucy placed the cone in his hand. She frowned up at him. "What's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

He shook his head. "It's nothing." He took her arm with his free hand and gently guided her down the pier.

They strolled for a long while in silence, licking their ice cream cones. It was the middle of the afternoon and the pier was crowded up by the arcade and shops, but as the pair continued down the walk they encountered fewer and fewer people. The trolley spiriting people down to the pavilion at the end of the pier rumbled past them. A few low clouds hung over the sea, and the bracing March air whipped around them as they slowly moved farther and farther out over the water.

"It's a long pier," Lucy finally remarked, breaking the stillness.

"It's one of the longest in Britain," Lee replied. "I used to take my girlfriends out here for long walks along the water."

"Oh?" Lucy eyed him coolly.

"All right, girlfriend. Once. And you'll be happy to know it didn't go so well." Lee looked down. "I'd bought us both Mars Bars and managed to eat half of hers by taking a bite whenever she wasn't looking."

"Sounds familiar," Lucy murmured, moving her ice cream out of Lee's reach.

"Then I made some joke about it being a good thing she didn't weigh any less or the wind might have carried her off, and that she'd best hang on to all of the tissues stuffed down her bra. When I tried to kiss her, she slipped out from under me and I cracked a tooth on the railing."

"Good. You deserved it." Lucy shot him a smug look. Lee rolled his eyes.

"I'm glad to know you were always such a charmer with the ladies."

"Yeah, all right. You don't have to rub it in," he grumbled.

"Still, I suppose there were some idiots out there who did manage to find your disgusting behaviour endearing."

"Oh, plenty. The biggest idiot even agreed to marry me." He squeezed her arm and grinned down at her.

Lucy met his gaze and smiled back. "Point taken." She leaned into him happily as they continued their stroll in companionable silence.

The biting air that rolled off the sea felt cool against their skin. Lucy shuddered, glad for the warmth of her jacket. "It's not really ice cream weather, is it?"

"I don't mind it. Any weather's ice cream weather in my book." Lee polished off his cone and brushed his hand against his jeans.

They'd reached the end of the pier. Lucy deposited her napkin in a bin and went to stand against the railing. Lee followed close behind. The blue-green waves rippled and slapped against the pier's iron scaffolding. The wind roared, violently tossing her hair about. Lucy hugged herself and looked out over the watery horizon.

Lee pointed over her shoulder. He spoke directly into her ear in order to be heard. "On a clear day, you can see Blackpool over there." He swung his arm in the opposite direction. "And the north of Wales over there."

"Is that so?" She breathed.

"Yeah. It's a shame the clouds are too low." Lee squinted but failed to make anything out through the mist. "My mum never failed to point them out to me when we came out here."

Lucy followed his gaze to the points on the water he'd indicated. "She wanted you to know that the world was a bigger place, that life had more to offer you than what was here."

Lee said nothing. He turned from the railing when he heard what sounded like laughter. He thought he saw his mother sitting on one of the benches, holding two partially-consumed ice creams in her hands while she chortled gently at his child self, who was wildly attempting to do a handstand in front of her. He blinked once and they were gone.

The laughter, however, continued. He looked at Lucy, who was unsuccessfully trying to stifle her giggles as she pulled a tissue from her purse. "Oh dear. You've got ice cream in your beard."

"Do I?" He poked his tongue out and started to lick his moustache.

"Stop it! Here, let me do it." Lucy grabbed his face and held it still while she dabbed it with the tissue. She shook her head, still tittering. Her husband, normally quite handsome in repose, had looked so ridiculous with drops of vanilla clinging to his mouth that she couldn't help but find it funny. She smiled, maintaining her hold of him while she tucked the tissue away. "There. Much better." Her fingers caressed his wiry cheeks as the pair drew closer together, their lips meeting. Lucy adored Lee's beard. She loved the way it made him look and she loved the way it made her feel. The sensation of his coarse hairs bristling against her most sensitive skin sent shudders of pleasure down her spine, turning her core to jelly.

Lee wrapped his arms around her waist as the kiss deepened, drawing her close against him. They leaned against the pier's railing. The wind whipped around them, ruffling their parkas. They clung all the more tightly to each other, mapping each other's mouths with their tongues.

"Oi, oi! Get in!"

They broke off and looked in the direction of the nearby pavilion. A bundled man seated beneath the eaves whistled approvingly, a wolfish smile on his face.

Lee angrily flicked two fingers at the man before relaxing his grip on Lucy, regretfully shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Luce."

"Don't be. I still think it's a very romantic setting." She stroked the back of his head, fondly taking in the view of his face against the backdrop. "Your eyes are the same colour as the sea," she murmured.

His brow furrowed. "'Eyes the colour of the sea'…" he said to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just part of a poem my mother used to say to me." Lee shook his head and gazed out at the water. "It's funny, I haven't once thought about it for nearly forty years, but I can still remember it."

"I'd like to hear it," Lucy said encouragingly.

"'_I know a little boy named Lee,_

_Whose eyes are the colour of the sea._

_He loves his sweets, but he loves eggs more._

_You can hear his trumps six miles from shore._

_He runs away and he plays in the dirt._

_Just watch your step, Lee, so you don't get hurt_.'" Lee turned to her, an amused light in his eyes. "I used to call it my 'farty poem' and asked for it all the time when I was little. I might have been Charlie's age the last time I heard it."

"I think it's very sweet." Lucy sniffed, thumbing away a tear at the corner of her eye. "She was telling you to be careful."

"Yeah," Lee chuckled. "I was a clumsy git even then."

"I'm still not sure how you've survived this long with all of your limbs intact. You've been hit by more cars than a dog on a country lane." She ducked her head as they slowly began making their way back along the pier. "But that's not what I meant. She wanted you to be careful, generally. In life." She risked a glance at him but failed to read anything from his face. "She didn't want you to be hurt the way she'd been hurt."

"A little late for that, though, isn't it?" Lee muttered, clamming up. He picked up his pace, pulling Lucy with him. It was stupid, he angrily thought to himself. This whole thing was stupid. What did he think was going to happen when he let those memories come flooding back? His painful past had never stopped hurting. It was hurting again. It was hurting _now. _Lee shook his head and hurried along, desperate to escape the ghosts that haunted him on the promenade.


	6. Chapter 6

Lee hadn't calmed much by the time they reached the shore. But the walk had tired him. Lucy convinced him to go down to the beach and stand at the water's edge beneath the pier. They didn't get close enough to touch the penetratingly cold water. Instead, they turned and walked just out of reach of the lapping waves. They encountered a couple of joggers and a family or two along the way, but the coast was mostly deserted. It wasn't long before, winded from all the walking they'd done, Lucy motioned for Lee to stop. She plopped down in the hard sand and pulled him down beside her.

Nothing was said for a long while. Finally, Lucy took a shaky breath. "Lee, I'm sor-,"

"I don't want to talk."

Lucy gazed up at his stony face sadly. It frustrated her that, just when she thought he was willing to let her in, he'd coldly shut her back out again. His tormented emotions were once again trapped behind a front, hurting him in ways she was not privy to. She felt utterly helpless.

Lee gazed down at the sand, desperately trying to concentrate on the present. He listened to his breathing: _in, out. In, out. In, out. _He clasped his hands together over his knees. His fingers found his wedding band and twisted it around and around on his finger. He began to count the rotations.

Lucy tentatively laid a hand on his chest. He turned his gaze on her, a cross and slightly bewildered look on his face. She said nothing, meeting his stare plaintively. She felt his heart thudding rapidly beneath her palm. As her own heart began to race in time with his, she began to sense the desperate anxiety he was hiding from her. Wordlessly, she drew his legs apart and clambered to sit between them. She settled her weight against his torso, tucking her head beneath his chin.

Lee's arms encircled her and loosely clasped her to him. He drew his legs around her and held her close. The real warmth of her body against his, the scent of her shower gel beneath his nose, the sounds of her occasional whimpering sighs all had an immediate, soothing effect on Lee. His pulse began to slow. The tension in his body relaxed. His mind ceased to panic, the memories once again suppressed. "You're wonderful," he breathed, placing a lingering kiss on her fragrant crown.

"No, I'm not," came the muffled reply as she quietly sobbed against his coat.

"Hey, hey, hey. We're not having that." Lee lifted her face to his and tickled her with his beard as he gently kissed the mascara-soaked tears spotting her face. "This…is…your…special…day out," he murmured between his kisses. "Because you…are…the…most…incredible…mother…and…amazing…wife…that's ever lived." He paused, savouring the taste of her tears on his lips. "Hmm. Salty but sweet. Appropriate for the sea-son." His brow furrowed when the puns failed to get a reaction. "Come on, don't get tide down by my resting beach face." He began to panic a little when she shook her head, the tears flowing faster. "Please don't do this. You make me so giddy I can't even see straight." Lee pulled back and crossed his eyes, puffing his cheeks out in a comical expression.

To his dismay, Lucy's laugh sounded like a torrent of broken sobs being rent from her chest. "Oh, Lee!" She wailed, burying her face in his shoulder. Lee hugged her, feeling as adrift as he once did whenever he failed to make one of their infant children stop crying.

Lucy sensed his vulnerability and struggled to pull herself together enough to form words. She sat up, drawing long breaths. "Don't you see," she gasped, "today's not about me. It's about you!"

"How shellfish of me." Lee gave her a small, worried smile.

With a frustrated cry, she turned her head to gaze out at the sea, punching the sand in frustration.

Lee held his hands up. "All right, so you don't like the sea puns! I'll stop!"

"This has nothing to do with puns!" Lucy turned back towards him, her face a mixture of fury and amazement. "Why do you have to be so bloody marvellous?"

"I what?" Lee wrinkled his nose, sick with confusion.

She shook her head. "Nothing! Look…" She settled herself squarely in front of him and linked her arms around his neck. She touched her forehead to his, looking directly into his eyes. "I know that you've been…on edge today, to put it lightly."

"Haven't I apologised enough?"

"I'm not asking for an apology." She paused, taking the measure of his gaze. "I'm asking you to trust me."

A cold, clammy feeling took hold in the pit of Lee's stomach. He started to shake his head. "No, Luce. I can't do it. I can't go back there…"

"Please. I know I've asked too much of you already, and you've given more than you should. But I need you to do this one last thing. For yourself."

Fear welled up in the back of Lee's throat, threatening to strangle him. "I can't…" he choked.

"If you won't do it for yourself, do it for me. Please. You love me." She paused. "You vowed that you would never leave me broken down by the side of the road. And neither will I. You're not alone. I'm right here by your side. Please," she sobbed, the tears reappearing in the corners of her eyes. "Just trust me."

Lee gulped and nodded fervently. "All right." The words barely made a sound as they passed his lips. "All right, I'll do it. Just please don't cry again."

"Deal." With a surprisingly immediate amount of composure, Lucy stood and held her hand out to Lee.

Stunned, he grabbed her palm and hauled himself to his feet. She flashed him a warm, reassuring smile and began to slowly lead him down the beach.

"_Gwaaaar!"_

Lee glanced over his shoulder to see his child self roaring and clawing at the air as he trampled his sand castle to the ground. His mother, seated on a rickety deck chair behind him, laughed as he tripped and landed face first in the rubble. _"You're the clumsiest Godzilla I've ever seen!"_

He sighed and faced forward again. "I'll shore be happy to leave this place," he muttered.


	7. Chapter 7

They'd only continued a short distance down the beach before Lucy, checking the map on her phone, pulled him back towards the street. They followed the walkways by the road, stopping only to duck into a florist's shop. Lucy had purchased a bouquet of bluebells, which she now held in her free hand as they approached the end of the street.

When the last of the buildings fell away, there only remained a small church at the top of the path. Beyond its gates lay a small, simple cemetery overlooking the sea.

As they passed the church, Lee's steps began to slow. Every muscle in his body begged him to turn around and walk away. He was sure Lucy noticed his hesitance, but she said nothing, slowing in time with his pace. He stared down at the path in front of him, dragging his feet with greater and greater reluctance. He stopped just shy of the cemetery gates, his face drawn in a pensive frown.

Lucy walked the remaining few steps to the entrance. She stopped and looked back at him, tugging his hand encouragingly. "Come on. It's okay."

He met her gaze and held it for a long moment. Finally, he took the painstaking few steps to stand at the gate beside her.

Lucy undid the latch and swung it wide. She glanced out at the cemetery before turning up to look at her husband. "Lee?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah?"

"Will you take me to see your mother? I'd like to meet her."

Lee lowered his head and closed his eyes. He breathed a long sigh through his nose, gathering himself mentally. He stood still for a while, clenching and unclenching his fists, before he suddenly looked up and started purposefully down the cemetery path. Lucy, caught off guard, hurriedly closed the gate and hastened down the path after him.

Though nearly twenty-five years had passed, Lee didn't have to hesitate. He rounded corners and moved along the lanes decisively. He turned and started down one of the outer rows, finally coming to a stop in front of a simple marble stone at the very end.

Lucy, who'd barely managed to keep him in her sight, came upon him standing guardedly before the grave, frowning down at the stone. She looked up at him, brow furrowed in concern. She made a move to touch him before letting her hand fall to her side, feeling herself repelled by his hostile energy. "Well?" She breathed. "Are you going to introduce us?"

He did not look at her, his gaze squarely concentrated on the headstone. When he finally spoke, his voice trembled. "Hi, Mum. This is my wife, Lucy. I know it's been…I know it's been a while. I just…I wanted…I-," Lee abruptly turned and stalked away, his voice breaking mid-sentence.

Lucy watched his retreating back come to a standstill several meters away. His silhouette remained motionless, facing out towards the sea.

She turned back to the grave, crouching down on the ground in front of it. "Hello, Jeanette," she said softly, stretching forward to place the bluebells at the foot of the tombstone. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm sorry it couldn't be in the flesh." She sat back on her heels and glimpsed at Lee's distant form. "Your son hasn't told me much about you, I'm afraid. He tends to keep far too much bottled up inside. But I know he loves you. And he misses you terribly." She glanced down at the grass and sighed before lifting her head, smiling. "We don't come up this way very often. We live in Surrey, and the kids control most of our schedule." She rapidly blinked back the tears burning at the corners of her eyes. "You have three beautiful grandchildren. They're precocious and irritating and lovely and full of life. I'm sure that sounds familiar to you." She threw her husband another fleeting look before studying the ground, brushing the tops of the grass with her fingers. "Lee's a wonderful father. He's playful and generous, incredibly caring, and stern when he needs to be. Though the kids know he's a bit of a pushover." She smiled. "I think having kids has softened him in ways I didn't think were possible. It's rather sweet to see. You'd definitely approve."

She pulled the photograph of Lee and his mother from her purse and studied it. The joy evident on his mother's face tugged at her heart. She looked up and stared at the stone's smooth surface, her eyes tracing the contours of the carved letters. "You always knew, didn't you? You knew he wasn't going to turn out to be like Frank, or any of the other men in your life. You made sure of it." She turned to gaze at Lee's back lovingly. "You raised him into the man I love today."

She rose and slowly made her way over to where Lee stood. As she approached, she noticed that, despite his jacket, he shuddered in the bracing sea breeze. She slowly came up beside him and stopped. She looked into his face, for once speechless.

Lee was crying. Rivers of tears escaped the corners of his eyes and glistened on his cheeks. His face had reddened, his expression scrunched and broken. His sobs were gentle, steady, and muted. They racked his frame with a shaky rhythm. Though his vision had blurred, he could see Lucy standing next to him. He noisily wiped his nose on his sleeve and ducked his head in shame. "I'm sorry," he croaked.

"Don't be." She reached up to cradle his face in her hands, turning his head back around in her direction. "You've held onto this pain for far too long. I'm glad you're finally brave enough to cry."

He refused to meet her gaze, sniffling loudly. He felt naked and afraid, utterly at a loss for how to deal with his aching heart. The frightened, bewildered look in his eyes was nearly more than his wife could stand.

Lucy sighed. "Come here." She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. She patted and stroked his back, murmuring reassuringly. Lee's hands encircled her waist and gripped her tightly. He wept softly into her shoulder. They held their embrace for several minutes, neither saying a word.

"I wasn't enough," he sobbed against her coat, finally breaking the silence. "I was never enough."

"What do you mean?"

Lee pulled back, his breath coming in long, shuddering sighs. "She was so miserable," he wheezed. "I wasn't enough to keep her happy. And I wasn't enough to keep her here." He glanced over at the grave, fresh tears brimming in his eyes. "I failed her."

"Oh, Lee." Lucy reached up and gently stroked the nape of his neck. "You can't blame yourself for what happened to her. It wasn't your fault."

"I ruined her life!" he cried.

"How can you say that? You were her world!" Lucy gazed at him in incredulous dismay. "She gave up her life with Frank _for you_. She worked herself to exhaustion _for you_. She put on a brave face every day, _for you!" _She shook her head. "Don't you see? She sacrificed herself for your sake, so you could live a better life!"

"And I let her down! Just like every other bloke she ever knew!" Lee snapped, eyes flashing angrily. "I never finished school, I never went to university, I never travelled the world, I just sat on my bum and did naff all with my life!"

"The kids and I count for naff all, do we? Lee, you started a family that you haven't abandoned, that you're faithful and devoted to! You're not one of the lonely, abusive, bitter alcoholics your mother tried to love. You can comfortably support us with one job and you're not living hand-to-mouth. That's not nothing!"

Lee looked down, abashed. He noticed the photograph Lucy still held in her hand. Lucy followed his gaze and held it up. They both studied the picture in silence.

"You loved making her laugh," Lucy finally said.

"It was the only time she seemed genuinely happy, when she laughed," he replied quietly.

"See? You did make her happy. The same way you try so hard to make me happy. Your ability to make me laugh, even in my darkest hours, was what finally made me fall for you. You don't care how you're feeling or what you have to do, so long as you cheer me up and make me feel better. I knew I couldn't live without it, without the man who cares about me so much, he'd grow and change and better himself for my sake." She smiled up at him. "You never stop at anything to make me happy. It's infuriating sometimes, what lengths you're willing to go to. You're far from perfect, and I know you're afraid that you'll never be enough. But you try, and that's always enough. It's why I love you so much. I don't care that you lack personal ambition, because you'd do absolutely anything for the woman you love. And, I suspect, neither did she."

Lee said nothing, still gazing at the photo. "My aunt took this," he finally murmured. "That was only a year or two before she…" He swallowed and turned to Lucy. "Where did you get this?"

"From your box."

Lee frowned in confusion.

Lucy sighed. "Your shoebox in the wardrobe. The one with all of the things you kept from your childhood. You remember."

He shook his head. "I've never opened it. My mum gave me that box on her deathbed. She told me I'd be happy to have it someday. I thought about throwing it out, but I kept it all this time for her sake."

He turned and looked back over at the distant grave. "I lied to her then. At the last. I told her I was in a band and we'd just signed a major record deal. That I was about to trade my car in for a convertible. And that I was engaged to a woman who worked at the paper."

Lucy shot him a funny look. He sighed. "All right, a page 3 model."

"What did she say?"

"Just, 'that's nice, Lee. That's nice.' I don't think she believed me."

"It didn't matter." Lucy snuggled against him, still holding up the picture. "She loved you just for who you were."

Lee looked down and smiled. He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her warmly.

Lucy traced her finger along Lee's picture. "Such a cute little boy." She beamed up at her husband, tucking the photo back into her handbag. "I wonder what ever happened to him?"

Lee held her gaze earnestly. "He's finally happy."

They melted into each other's arms, kissing passionately. Lucy pressed her face against his and held it close. Her palms brushed against his grizzled cheeks while her fingers twined themselves in his short, gradually greying hair. Lee's broad hands pressed along her spine before settling at the small of her back. He pulled her body tightly against his, absorbing her warmth and shutting out the violent breeze that whipped around them. Their mouths crushed and lingered against each other, needy and affectionate. The sun, making its descent into the sea, peeked from behind the clouds long enough to cast the sky in an amber hue against them.

Eventually, they relaxed their hold to come up for air. Lee smiled down at Lucy so lovingly that she felt weak in the knees. "Thanks."

She stood on tiptoe to give him one final peck.

They wrapped their arms around each other's waists and slowly strolled back across the hill, stopping at his mother's grave.

"All right, Mum." He nodded in greeting at the stone, the tremor gone from his voice. "I sell cars. I drive a hatchback. And I married a headhunter."

"She's proud of you, I'm sure," Lucy murmured.

He glanced at Lucy, still addressing his mother. "You know, this was all her idea, driving out here today. Because she's the most wonderful woman in the world."

Lucy placed her hand on Lee's chest, gazing up at him adoringly.

Lee turned back to the headstone, his face sobering. "I'm sorry I stayed away for so long. That I felt ashamed for all these years. That I let my guilt get in the way of the good memories we shared. I know it was wrong now." His voice lowered. Lucy had to strain to hear it over the gusting wind. "Thanks for making everything possible. Happy Mother's Day, Mum."

He turned to Lucy. She saw the sadness still brimming in his eyes and patted his chest sympathetically. Sharing a wan smile, they finally moved back down the way they came.

As they walked, Lucy rested her head on his shoulder. The events of the entire day seemed to catch up with her, as she felt drained and dozy. Lee held his head erect and looked around, relaxed and completely content for the first time all day. The weight of his pain somehow felt lighter. This time, no ghosts greeted his vision as they slowly exited the graveyard.


	8. Chapter 8

The sun had nearly set by the time they'd reached the car. It wasn't however, difficult to find. A flock of seagulls had taken it for a toilet sometime during the afternoon, spotting the bonnet and windscreen with bird dung.

"Oh, great!" Lee groaned. His shoulders sagged as they approached the car. "All that work this morning, ruined!"

"It's okay, Lee." Lucy patted his back. "I still appreciate the effort." She stifled a yawn as she shuffled towards the car, pulling the keys out of her purse.

"I'm driving home, thank you." Lee plucked the keys out of her hand.

"Hey! Give those back!"

He held them up out of reach. "Lucy, it's a four-hour drive and you're about to pass out from exhaustion. Besides, you've done enough for me today, on your special day. I think it's best if you let me take us home."

She relented, nodding gratefully. As Lee opened the door for her, she reached out and pushed his short, wind-tousled fringe back up off his forehead. "I hope I don't look as frightful as you."

Lee appraised the dried eye makeup streaking down her face. "Worse, actually. You might get mistaken for a sand witch."

Lucy scowled at him.

Lee shot her a sheepish grin. "Still not a fan of the sea puns, then?"

"Come on." Lucy clambered into the passenger seat. "Let's get home before the kids think we've abandoned them to a life with Granddad Frank."

The next thing she knew, Lee was rousing her from the seat beside her. "We're home."

She blinked, looking around at the walls of their garage. "Did I sleep the entire way?"

"Yeah." He smiled gently. "You made for lousy company. I had nobody but Costa Coffee to help keep me awake." He held up an empty Styrofoam thermos.

"I'm sorry." Lucy palmed at her eyes and looked at the clock on the dashboard. "It's nearly half past one."

"I know. We were stopped in traffic for ages 'round Birmingham." Lee rolled his eyes.

"Gosh, I must have really been out of it," she murmured as they both climbed out of the car.

"It's all right. The traffic jam gave me a chance to piss in that water bottle again without you moaning and telling me off."

She gave him a disgruntled look as they stepped back inside the house.

They quietly crept past Frank, who'd curled up under a blanket on the couch and fallen asleep. A late-night poker series tournament played softly on the television. Lee and Lucy carefully ascended the stairs and peeked into the children's rooms to see them all fast asleep in their beds. They continued down the hall to the master bedroom and closed the door.

They didn't speak to each other as they readied for bed, doing their best to remain as quiet as possible. Lee graciously allowed Lucy first go in the shower before taking his turn. When he re-entered the bedroom, he found the lights already out and Lucy rolled over in bed. He slowly climbed in beside her, looking at her still form inquiringly. "Lucy," he hissed.

"Hmm?"

"You awake?"

"No, I'm talking in my sleep," she mumbled.

When he touched her shoulder, she rolled back over towards him and curled herself against his body. He put his arm around her, holding her close. They lay together in companionable silence.

"You know," he finally murmured. "I had a lot of time to think on the drive home."

"You, thinking? That's a first."

Lee ignored her gentle prodding. "I was thinking…that it might be a good idea to take some evening classes."

"Lee, I've already told you. I'm not taking a bondage-themed sex therapy course with you."

"I'm not talking about those sorts of evening classes."

Lucy frowned. "What sort of evening classes, then?"

"Those GCSE courses offered by the council." He looked down, thumbing the comforter absently. "It'd set a good example for the kids. Charlie especially could stand to learn that it's not okay to drop out of school the way his old man did. Besides," he turned to Lucy, "it's what Mum would have wanted. I'd be doing it for her, too."

"I think it's a fantastic idea." Lucy lifted her head and tenderly kissed Lee's lips. His trim beard prickled against her face, causing a pleased moan to escape Lucy's throat. She smiled and touched her nose to his before she nestled her head against his chest, sighing contentedly.

"Thank you for the day out with my mother, Luce. I'm sorry I doubted you."

"I'm always right. You should know that by now," Lucy murmured into his t-shirt.

Lee shook his head, squeezing her shoulder affectionately. Lucy tended to get snarky whenever she was grumpy or tired, and right now he knew she was both. "All right, Big Head. Not everyone can be as perfect as you. Just like an earthquake, we all have our faults!"

Silence.

"Lucy?" He looked down to see her snoozing softly against his chest. He smiled at his incredible wife, the woman who never failed to make him realize just how lucky he was every day. Even on a day meant to make her feel special, she'd gone to great lengths to give him an incredible gift. The depth of her love astounded him; it was a love, he realized, thinking about the woman he'd suppressed from his memory for so long, that only a mother could give. He planted a kiss in her hair and closed his eyes. "Happy Mother's Day, love."

THE END

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